Chester County officials react to Voter ID injunction

Joseph Strickland prepares voter identification for former mayor of Pittsburgh, Sophie Masloff, 94, of Squirrel Hill, Monday, Oct.1, 2012 evening at the CCAC Homewood-Brushton Center. One of the toughest of a new wave of U.S. state laws in a debate over voting rights was put on hold Tuesday as a judge postponed Pennsylvania's controversial voter identification requirement just weeks before the presidential election. The law requires each voter to show a valid photo ID. (AP Photo/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Julia Rendleman) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; MONESSEN OUT; KITTANNING OUT; CONNELLSVILLE OUT; GREENSBURG OUT; TARENTUM OUT; NORTH HILLS NEWS RECORD OUT; BUTLER OUT

While views on the law requiring voters to present identification at the polls may differ, some local officials in Chester County said the injunction upheld by a state judge Tuesday was the right move.

The court ruled the law should not go into effect for the Nov. 6 election and should wait to be enacted until the State Department can ensure every voter will have the necessary identification cards.

“To wait to implement this with a calm approach is a good approach,” Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell, who supports the law, wrote in a statement. “We were prepared to implement the law, if it had been upheld. But going back to a system that folks are familiar with will help the election run smoothly and effectively.”

The commissioners act as the Board of Elections for Chester County.

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Commissioner Ryan Costello, who supports the law, said Election Day would have run smoothly, but he had concerns about all voters being able to obtain the proper identification within the next few weeks.

Jim Forsythe, director of voter services for Chester County, said he did not read the court’s decision and could not comment on how the ruling would impact Election Day.

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, who opposes the law, said the ruling will help ensure no disenfranchisement.

“The decision to not implement the law in this election is absolutely appropriate,” Cozzone wrote in a statement.

Everett Butcher, founder of the Chester County Minority Caucus, said that while his group is opposed to the law generally, his group will focus on ensuring voters have the proper identification if the law remains in place. He said the problem was too little time to get everyone’s identification for the November election. He said implementing the law appropriately before the election was not feasible.

“We need fairness, and everyone has to have the right to be in compliance with the law,” Butcher said.

However, not everyone said that holding off on full implementation was a good idea. James Codichini, a member of local Tea Party group the Coalition for Advancing Freedom, said he believes the state is prepared to implement the law and it would ensure that all elections are held without fraud.

“It struck me like a cop-out by the judge,” Codichini said.

Codichini was referring to the fact that Judge Robert Simpson did not rule on the constitutionality of the law.

Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele, a former Chester County commissioner, said the state would have been ready to implement the law for the election but understands the judge’s concerns. She said her department, which oversees all elections, will continue to inform voters about what is needed at the polls.

“We will continue our education and outreach efforts, as directed by the judge in his order, to let Pennsylvanians know the voter ID law is still on track to be fully implemented for future elections, and we urge all registered voters to make sure they have acceptable ID,” Aichele wrote in a statement.